How to Become a Social Worker
Help people cope with challenges in their lives and connect them to community resources. It typically requires a master's degree (for clinical), with a median salary of $59,550 per year and about average projected job growth.
Median pay
$59,550/yr
Middle half
$48,270 to $76,070
Job growth
About average
Openings / yr
35,100
Majors that lead here
Key skills
- Active Listening
- Case Management
- Crisis Intervention
- Cultural Competency
- Advocacy
Helpful certifications
- LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker)
- ACSW
- State Licensure
Is this career a fit?
Remote-friendly
25/100
Work-life balance
45/100
Stress level
68/100
Satisfaction
66/100
Related careers
- Clergy / Minister$60,810 median
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Social Worker make?
The median pay for a Social Worker is $59,550 a year, and the middle half of workers earn between $48,270 and $76,070 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025). That covers everyone in the job, not only people starting out, so newer workers sit toward the lower end.
What degree do you need to become a Social Worker?
The usual entry point is a master's degree (for clinical). Common majors are Social Work, Psychology, Sociology, Human Services, and Human Development and Family Studies.
Is Social Worker a growing field?
Projected job growth for this role from 2024 to 2034 is about average (BLS projections via O*NET), with roughly 35,100 U.S. openings a year.
What skills does a Social Worker use most?
Common skills for this role are Active Listening, Case Management, Crisis Intervention, Cultural Competency, and Advocacy.
Planning to become a Social Worker?
Save this career to your PlanexAI path and track the majors, courses, and milestones that lead to it.
Not sure this is right for you?
Take our free 2-minute quiz to match your interests to majors and careers.
Take the major quizWhere these pay figures come from
Career pay is the annual wage of everyone working in that occupation, not only recent graduates, so it includes people who have done the job for decades. The middle half is the 25th to the 75th percentile. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).
All figures are national. What you earn depends on where you work, who you work for, and how far you take the degree.
Job-growth figures: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).